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-   -   Need Sydney shopping info (https://www.fodors.com/community/australia-and-the-pacific/need-sydney-shopping-info-780497/)

goddesstogo Apr 21st, 2009 05:26 PM

Need Sydney shopping info
 
Hi everyone,
I'm hoping you can help me with some shopping information. The daughter of a friend is going to be spending a semester of law school in Sydney (from Canada) and I'd like to buy her a gift card for a store there. I know I can give her money but I'd like her to have the experience of going to a shop I've more or less picked out for her.

She's 22, pretty, lovely figure and dresses fashionably like the rest of her university friends -- nothing too glamorous or too outre. She's not wealthy and would normally shop in your average mall chain stores.

Can you suggest a store in Sydney where she might enjoy buying a thing or two for herself? It occurs to me that if it were a department store, she'd have lots of choices or may decide to use it on a service such as a mani/pedi.

Thanks in advance for your help.

nvl325 Apr 21st, 2009 08:31 PM

hi goddess,
I just returned from Sydney today! First trip, and haven't had a chance to even think about a report yet.

How about David Jones? It's a huge, nice dept store- sort of like a Macys/Bloomies. It looks like it would fit the bill-

Cilla_Tey Apr 21st, 2009 10:27 PM

David Jones is kind of upmarket. Cheaper chains for the younger women perhaps would be Sportsgirl, Portmans, Dottis and Just Jeans.

http://www.australiapost.com.au/giftcards/

dkw Apr 21st, 2009 11:14 PM

I would suggest Myers. Its a large department store, with lots of locations all around Sydney. They have a huge variety of clothing for 20 somethings and about anything else you could need. I've lived here for just over a year now and it's my "go to" store!

kiwi_rob Apr 22nd, 2009 01:09 AM

DW suggests Sportscraft or David Lawrence.

Susan7 Apr 22nd, 2009 01:36 AM

Ahh kiwi_rob not Sportscraft for a young woman, that's very navy and white frock-style.

I totally agree with Cilla's selection for a University student: Sportsgirl, Portmans, Dotti etc.

Bushranger Apr 22nd, 2009 03:22 AM

Myers is a great store in that they may have a far greater range of products than some of the others mentioned and not that I'm ever shopping for girls but I kind of thing that Portmans might be for older women too.

You may also want to check which you shold be able to do on line if Myers/Target have vouchers that can be used at either, Target being a cheaper product outlet but both have great sales at times.

Bushranger Apr 22nd, 2009 03:25 AM

And a PS.
Not that she'll want to do more than window shop there but do slip in a card reminding her to check out the Queen Vic Building in George Street and that Rocks weekend markets have great choc coated strawberries and other goodies.

goddesstogo Apr 22nd, 2009 04:53 AM

Thanks for all your suggestions. Several people on the other thread have suggested a qvb card. If I understand it correctly, that's a big mall in the centre of the city and the card would be good at most, if not all, of the shops there.

Would some of the shops you've mentioned be in that mall? And, Bushranger, does qvb stand for Queen Victoria Building? That would be great -- she'd get to use her card and see building and I'll definitely tell her about Rocks weekend markets.

kiwi_rob Apr 22nd, 2009 11:47 AM

Oops, Susan7. Looks like our age is showing!

The QVB card sounds like a good idea.

lanejohann Apr 22nd, 2009 05:01 PM

i wonder if you could a get westfields card-a chain of malls here
that way she can shop in all the little shops ( not myer of david jones i think but still will have the fun of browsing in lots of places )

goddesstogo Apr 22nd, 2009 05:15 PM

I'll look into that, lane, thanks!

lanejohann Apr 22nd, 2009 05:46 PM

just another thought

theres good shopping at birkenhead - factory seconds etc but yoy can do so well there especially when youre not looking for anything in specific clothes wise

and of course dfo out near homebush ( near the olympic site)

i doubt you can get gift vouchers but it is a nice day out to both of these places ( theyre far apart so she wont be able to go to both on the same day)

Bushranger Apr 22nd, 2009 09:06 PM

Yes, Goddess, QVB is what the QVB is affectionally known as, and more than just a mall but a Romanesque one whereas I would've in ignorance described it as QV period architecture, built 1898 actually to create work for unemployed of the time and so maybe we need a few more.

Bit if Pierre Cardin or some fabcy frog describes it as the best shopping centre on the planet, and built the century before the last one, I heartily agree the Goddess of Shoppers had something to do with it.
. http://www.sydney.com.au/qvb.htm shows a look of inside,
. http://www.qvb.com.au/IPOH/QVB/me.ge...onshow&PAGE002 - the outside, history and top menu has card link.
It is however full of more boutique expensive type shops,
. more shopping venues on this site
and yes, Coles Group/Myer Gift Card allows use at either Myers or Target.
. http://www.target.com.au/html/cards/cards2.htm
and for lanej's westfield:
. http://www.westfieldgiftcards.com.au...FYMvpAodgHvCGQ

T'd think if you wanted to think that the girl may want to get something special, a memento or something of her trip and you are considering a couple of hundred dollars or so, then a QVB card would be something special.
If on other hand you're thinking of her getting something more general for while she is here, a Myers/Target or Westfield one is probably more applicable.

goddesstogo Apr 23rd, 2009 05:21 AM

I was thinking of whatever the equivalent of $100C would be in Australian dollars and I'd love to send her to the qvb mall -- it looks beautiful! Surely she'd be able to buy something for herself there with that amount, no?

Bushranger Apr 23rd, 2009 05:35 AM

Well I haven't been through of late g2g and though one is impressed more by pricing in there, I'd expect retailers in there will be hurting like all retailers and there could be some good sales.

goddesstogo Apr 23rd, 2009 08:53 AM

Thanks, everyone. At least now I can do some web-browsing!

Neil_Oz Apr 23rd, 2009 01:45 PM

Of course she could buy something at the QVB.

And please ignore previous advice pointing you towards Target and K-Mart, which are downmarket subsidiaries of the Coles-Myer supermarket and department store group (and not affiliated with US stores of the same name). The young lady could get the same cheap stuff for less at her local Wal-Mart.

goddesstogo Apr 23rd, 2009 02:22 PM

QVB it is. And the Sunburn book!
Thanks everyone!

Bushranger Apr 23rd, 2009 07:50 PM

Some moments being had lately it seems for I do not think anybody else mentioned K-mart let alone would have recommended that.


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